South Dakota Deer Draw Odds
In the 2026 draw South Dakota offered 108 deer hunts to nonresidents, drawn by preference points. At 0 points a nonresident had at least an even chance in 33 hunts open to every hunter.
Open May 27 – Jun 23, 2027 (expected)
Kept if you miss
2026 draw
6,651 nonresident applicants
Point only: $20 nonresident · Sep 15 – Dec 15 · Open now, closes Dec 15 → Buying Points in South Dakota
How the South Dakota Draw Works (30-Second Version)
Preference points.
Tags go to the applicants with the most preference points, one level at a time. If the last level that draws has more applicants than tags remaining, those applicants are chosen at random. Everyone below that level misses and earns a point.
Best Bets at 0 Points
Odds × hunter success × public land, 10 tags or more. Private-land, ranch, landowner and youth hunts left out.
Buck or Either-Sex
WRD-49A-11
Unit WRD-49A · Rifle · West River Deer: 49A11 · Any whitetail deer
- Success
- —
- Public
- 4%
- Season
- Nov 14–29
WRD-58A-18
Unit WRD-58A · Rifle · West River Deer: 58A18 · Any whitetail deer, antlerless whitetail deer
- Success
- —
- Public
- 6%
- Season
- Nov 14–29
WRD-21A-11
Unit WRD-21A · Rifle · West River Deer: 21A11 · Any whitetail deer
- Success
- —
- Public
- 14%
- Season
- Nov 14–29
WRD-45A-11
Unit WRD-45A · Rifle · West River Deer: 45A11 · Any whitetail deer
- Success
- —
- Public
- 2%
- Season
- Nov 14–29
WRD-02A-18
Unit WRD-02A · Rifle · West River Deer: 02A18 · Any whitetail deer, antlerless whitetail deer
- Success
- —
- Public
- 9%
- Season
- Nov 14–29
WRD-15B-18
Unit WRD-15B · Rifle · West River Deer: 15B18 · Any whitetail deer, antlerless whitetail deer
- Success
- —
- Public
- 1%
- Season
- Nov 14–29
Doe
WRD-15A-19P
Unit WRD-15A · Antlerless rifle · West River Deer: 15A19P · 2 antlerless whitetail deer
- Success
- —
- Public
- 18%
- Season
- Nov 14–29
WRD-35A-19P
Unit WRD-35A · Antlerless rifle · West River Deer: 35A19P · 2 antlerless whitetail deer
- Success
- —
- Public
- 18%
- Season
- Nov 14–29
WRD-53C-13P
Unit WRD-53C · Antlerless rifle · West River Deer: 53C13P · Antlerless whitetail deer
- Success
- —
- Public
- 5%
- Season
- Nov 14–29
WRD-49A-13
Unit WRD-49A · Antlerless rifle · West River Deer: 49A13 · Antlerless whitetail deer
- Success
- —
- Public
- 4%
- Season
- Nov 14–29
WRD-31A-19
Unit WRD-31A · Antlerless rifle · West River Deer: 31A19 · 2 antlerless whitetail deer
- Success
- —
- Public
- 2%
- Season
- Nov 14–29
WRD-15B-19P
Unit WRD-15B · Antlerless rifle · West River Deer: 15B19P · 2 antlerless whitetail deer
- Success
- —
- Public
- 1%
- Season
- Nov 14–29
Every Hunt at 0 Points
108 hunt codes drawn in 2026 · 35 at 50% or better · first choice · nonresident
Last year's odds were off by about 7 percentage points for applicants near the points needed. How we check
| Hunt | Season | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BHD-BH1-02 Unit BHD-BH1 · Antlered rifle · Black Hills Deer: BH102 · Any buck deer | Antlered rifle · Black Hills Deer: BH102 · Any buck deer | BHD-BH1 | Nov 1–30 | 0% | — | 16 / 923 | — |
| BHD-BH1-12 Unit BHD-BH1 · Antlered rifle · Black Hills Deer: BH112 · Buck whitetail deer | Antlered rifle · Black Hills Deer: BH112 · Buck whitetail deer | BHD-BH1 | Nov 1–30 | 0% | — | 220 / 1,236 | — |
| RFD-LC1-01 Unit RFD-LC1 · Muzzleloader · Refuge Deer: LC101 · Any deer | Muzzleloader · Refuge Deer: LC101 · Any deer | RFD-LC1 | Oct 21–27 | 0% (small sample) | — | 1 / 17 | — |
| RFD-LC2-01 Unit RFD-LC2 · Muzzleloader · Refuge Deer: LC201 · Any deer | Muzzleloader · Refuge Deer: LC201 · Any deer | RFD-LC2 | Nov 25–Dec 1 | 0% (small sample) | — | 1 / 39 | — |
| RFD-SL1-01 Unit RFD-SL1 · Muzzleloader · Refuge Deer: SL101 · Any deer | Muzzleloader · Refuge Deer: SL101 · Any deer | RFD-SL1 | Nov 14–18 | 0% (small sample) | — | 2 / 31 | — |
| RFD-SL2-01 Unit RFD-SL2 · Rifle · Refuge Deer: SL201 · Any deer | Rifle · Refuge Deer: SL201 · Any deer | RFD-SL2 | Nov 19–23 | 0% (small sample) | — | 2 / 40 | — |
| RFD-SL4-01 Unit RFD-SL4 · Muzzleloader · Refuge Deer: SL401 · Any deer | Muzzleloader · Refuge Deer: SL401 · Any deer | RFD-SL4 | Nov 30–Dec 6 | 100% (small sample) | — | 4 / 0 | — |
| RFD-SL5-01 Unit RFD-SL5 · Rifle · Refuge Deer: SL501 · Any deer | Rifle · Refuge Deer: SL501 · Any deer | RFD-SL5 | Dec 7–13 | 0% (small sample) | — | 2 / 25 | — |
| RFD-WA1-01 Unit RFD-WA1 · Muzzleloader · Refuge Deer: WA101 · Any deer | Muzzleloader · Refuge Deer: WA101 · Any deer | RFD-WA1 | Nov 14–22 | 0% (small sample) | — | 1 / 6 | — |
| RFD-WA3-01 Unit RFD-WA3 · Muzzleloader · Refuge Deer: WA301 · Any deer | Muzzleloader · Refuge Deer: WA301 · Any deer | RFD-WA3 | Nov 28–Dec 6 | 0% (small sample) | — | 1 / 5 | — |
| WRD-02A-01 Unit WRD-02A · Rifle · West River Deer: 02A01 · Any deer | Rifle · West River Deer: 02A01 · Any deer | WRD-02A | Nov 14–29 | 0% | — | 32 / 134 | — |
| WRD-02A-13P Unit WRD-02A · Antlerless rifle · West River Deer: 02A13P · Antlerless whitetail deer | Antlerless rifle · West River Deer: 02A13P · Antlerless whitetail deer | WRD-02A | Nov 14–29 | 100% (small sample) | — | 7 / 0 | — |
| WRD-02A-18 Unit WRD-02A · Rifle · West River Deer: 02A18 · Any whitetail deer, antlerless whitetail deer | Rifle · West River Deer: 02A18 · Any whitetail deer, antlerless whitetail deer | WRD-02A | Nov 14–29 | 36% | — | 16 / 30 | — |
| WRD-02C-02 Unit WRD-02C · Antlered rifle · West River Deer: 02C02 · Any buck deer | Antlered rifle · West River Deer: 02C02 · Any buck deer | WRD-02C | Nov 14–29 | 0% | — | 8 / 144 | — |
| WRD-02C-11 Unit WRD-02C · Rifle · West River Deer: 02C11 · Any whitetail deer | Rifle · West River Deer: 02C11 · Any whitetail deer | WRD-02C | Nov 14–29 | 0% (small sample) | — | 2 / 7 | — |
| WRD-11A-02 Unit WRD-11A · Antlered rifle · West River Deer: 11A02 · Any buck deer | Antlered rifle · West River Deer: 11A02 · Any buck deer | WRD-11A | Nov 14–29 | 0% | — | 10 / 23 | — |
| WRD-11A-11 Unit WRD-11A · Rifle · West River Deer: 11A11 · Any whitetail deer | Rifle · West River Deer: 11A11 · Any whitetail deer | WRD-11A | Nov 14–29 | 100% (small sample) | — | 4 / 1 | — |
| WRD-11B-02 Unit WRD-11B · Antlered rifle · West River Deer: 11B02 · Any buck deer | Antlered rifle · West River Deer: 11B02 · Any buck deer | WRD-11B | Nov 14–29 | 0% (small sample) | — | 2 / 19 | — |
| WRD-11B-11 Unit WRD-11B · Rifle · West River Deer: 11B11 · Any whitetail deer | Rifle · West River Deer: 11B11 · Any whitetail deer | WRD-11B | Nov 14–29 | 0% (small sample) | — | 4 / 11 | — |
| WRD-15A-01 Unit WRD-15A · Rifle · West River Deer: 15A01 · Any deer | Rifle · West River Deer: 15A01 · Any deer | WRD-15A | Nov 14–29 | 0% | — | 16 / 202 | — |
| WRD-15A-18 Unit WRD-15A · Rifle · West River Deer: 15A18 · Any whitetail deer, antlerless whitetail deer | Rifle · West River Deer: 15A18 · Any whitetail deer, antlerless whitetail deer | WRD-15A | Nov 14–29 | 0% | — | 48 / 98 | — |
| WRD-15A-19P Unit WRD-15A · Antlerless rifle · West River Deer: 15A19P · 2 antlerless whitetail deer | Antlerless rifle · West River Deer: 15A19P · 2 antlerless whitetail deer | WRD-15A | Nov 14–29 | 100% | — | 52 / 16 | — |
| WRD-15B-01 Unit WRD-15B · Rifle · West River Deer: 15B01 · Any deer | Rifle · West River Deer: 15B01 · Any deer | WRD-15B | Nov 14–29 | 0% | — | 12 / 43 | — |
| WRD-15B-18 Unit WRD-15B · Rifle · West River Deer: 15B18 · Any whitetail deer, antlerless whitetail deer | Rifle · West River Deer: 15B18 · Any whitetail deer, antlerless whitetail deer | WRD-15B | Nov 14–29 | 39% | — | 32 / 51 | — |
| WRD-15B-19P Unit WRD-15B · Antlerless rifle · West River Deer: 15B19P · 2 antlerless whitetail deer | Antlerless rifle · West River Deer: 15B19P · 2 antlerless whitetail deer | WRD-15B | Nov 14–29 | 100% | — | 21 / 7 | — |
Showing 1–25 of 108 · sorted by unit · 170 hunts not offered in 2026 hidden — show discontinued hunts
Show all 108 huntsWhat These Columns Mean
- Odds at your points —
- the share of first-choice applicants at your point level who drew this tag in the 2026 draw. Not a forecast: quotas and demand move every year. A badge marked * had under five tags, so one applicant either way swings it.
- Pts needed —
- the lowest point total that still got a tag in the 2026 draw; the ▲ or ▼ is how far that cut has moved since the earliest draw we hold. A 0 marks a hunt that went Undersubscribed: fewer first-choice applicants than tags, so everyone who applied drew.
- Tags / apps —
- tags on offer and first-choice applicants for them, as the agency published them.
- Success —
- the share of hunters in the unit who killed an animal, from the latest harvest report on file. It is the whole unit's figure, not the hunt's.
All 101 Units
Each unit has its own page: where it is on the map, how much of it is public land, what the hunters who went there killed last season, and every license type you can apply for inside it.
Report an error on this page
About These Numbers
Every percentage here is the chance an applicant with that many points had in the draw year shown, computed from the agency's published results; quotas, applicant numbers and point levels change every year. A dash means the agency did not publish the number. Under five tags the percentage is flagged: one applicant either way swings it. Check the agency's site and apply there; we don't take applications. How we compute these.